Activist sues Victorian government

Jewish community activist Menachem Vorchheimer has launched legal action against the Victorian state government at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), alleging systemic failure to address escalating antisemitism across the state.

The case accuses the Victorian government of enabling breaches of racial vilification laws through deliberate inaction despite having “express knowledge about incitement of hatred against Jews since October 2023”.

“Rather than act, it has made a conscious decision to enable incitement until it turned into violence, and that was an abrogation of its duties, and so therefore it is liable,” Vorchheimer stated.

He said he has made several freedom of information requests which have uncovered extensive correspondence to the office of Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny from Jewish and non-Jewish Victorians raising safety concerns about antisemitic conduct.

The documents show “significant correspondence” highlighting “a variety of chants and conduct in the city that made the city unsafe for Jews”.

Specific complaints were raised about Mohammed Mohideen, president of the Islamic Council of Victoria and Multicultural Commissioner, with the government allegedly failing to act to make sure that he didn’t repeat that conduct.

Vorchheimer cited multiple antisemitic chants at rallies including “Death to the IDF” and “From the river to the sea”.

Other documented chants included “There is only one solution, intifada revolution” alongside displays of proscribed terrorist organisation symbols, including Hezbollah imagery and pictures of their leaders at these rallies.

Vorchheimer described how Jewish businesses have been repeatedly targeted with stickers, forcing some to shut their doors.

“Synagogues burning is no longer unheard of or unthought of as a possibility in Melbourne, Australia, and that comes down to a government that has enabled it,” he said.

The VCAT action seeks a formal government apology acknowledging the harm caused by failure of this government to enforce existing laws.

Vorchheimer also wants the Premier to “acknowledge that at law in Australia, freedom of speech is not absolute and does not give you freedom to vilify racially or religiously another individual”.

He is also demanding a review of Victoria Police regarding “why they didn’t uphold the law”.

While the Victorian government has passed strengthened hate speech legislation, Vorchheimer dismissed this as inadequate.

“This government is very good at pointing to legislation, but it’s not very good at actually doing things and I want this government to be a government of action, not a government of words.”